SUSTAIN, U.S Marines in space for real

DefenseTech.Org
September 19, 2005

After three years of being laughed out of meetings, the U.S. Marine Corps' futuristic plans to deploy through space may finally be getting some traction," notes Aviation Week's spunky new spin-off, Defense Technology International.

Although the chuckle factor hasn't altogether disappeared, the Air Force Research Laboratory and Darpa are beginning a study of options for a reusable upper-stage space travel vehicle -- the same kind of technology that the Marines might need for a ride halfway across the globe.

The effort is called "Hot Eagle," and it could be the first step forward in the Marine Corps' hopes for space travel. Within minutes of bursting into the atmosphere beyond the speed of sound -- and dispatching that ominous sonic boom -- a small squad of Marines could be on the ground and ready to take care of business within 2 hours. [One presentation muses that the capsule might later be picked up by a Osprey or by a "balloon cable and C-17" transport plane. Or, the Marines might "hike out," and "leave [the] crew capsule behind." -- ed.]

Defense Tech: Marines in Spaaaaaace!

Op/Ed on SUSTAIN


Wow, I'm all for this concept.


[edit on 21-9-2005 by NWguy83]

MOD EDIT: Removing the entire copy-paste and adding in the link to the article itself.

[edit on 9/21/2005 by cmdrkeenkid]

I think this is great! The Marines have wrote the book time and time again on many things, this will be another notch.

I wonder who will fund this? surely not the corps being that this will range into the hundreds of millions.....and the corps has the smallest defense budget being only a fraction of what the other services have.

Interesting

Originally posted by SportyMB
I think this is great! The Marines have wrote the book time and time again on many things, this will be another notch.

I wonder who will fund this? surely not the corps being that this will range into the hundreds of millions.....and the corps has the smallest defense budget being only a fraction of what the other services have.

Interesting

It might just be wishful thinking on my part, but a joint Air Force/Marines project would be the only way to fund it.

sounds familiar..

Yeah, this will happen. We'll just ask the enemy to ignore that sonic boom as this re-labeled X-34 soars down from the stratosphere, looking for an undefended 10,000 ft. runway to land on, let the brave marines accomplish thier vital mission... and then wait for someone to pick them up!
Another Popular Science fantasy for tech heads that seems devised by pot heads.

It no more absurd than taking a propellored aircraft, loading it with men, having them jump out and slowly drift to the group via parachutes. By deploying from space or low orbit they can reach any point on the planet far far faster and in far greater numbers than by deploying via aircraft and ships. True, lots will die, but lots of shermans were destroyed during wwii, and lots of marines died before ever setting foot on solid ground in normandy. The point is to defeat the enemy, not have none of your own soldiers killed.

It sounds cool, but think of the risks compared to the "normal" ways of boat, planes, helicopters, etc. If this messes up once, it would be like the Iranian embassy rescue except 1,000 times worse. Still would be cool though and I'm sure one day in the far future we'll see it happen.

-koji K.

Army Airborne is probably having a caniption fit over this. They've been trying to beat the Corps at the rapid insertion game for the last, well, I guess since they hit the scene.

My question is how do troops maintain muscle tone and equilibrium in space and how often do they have to rotate these guys out to keep them fit for combat?

Originally posted by Nygdan
True, lots will die, but lots of shermans were destroyed during wwii, and lots of marines died before ever setting foot on solid ground in normandy.

I could be wrong, but I don't think there were very many Marines at Normandy. Maybe British Royal Marines.



[edit on 2005/9/21 by GradyPhilpott]

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott

Originally posted by Nygdan
True, lots will die, but lots of shermans were destroyed during wwii, and lots of marines died before ever setting foot on solid ground in normandy.

I could be wrong, but I don't think there were very many Marines at Normandy. Maybe British Royal Marines.



[edit on 2005/9/21 by GradyPhilpott]

Wasn't Omaha done by the US Marine Corps?

And yes, our marines where there too, but we didn't get chewed up nearly as much as you guys did..... Our bombers hit the targets

Originally posted by Nygdan
It no more absurd than taking a propellored aircraft, loading it with men, having them jump out and slowly drift to the group via parachutes. By deploying from space or low orbit they can reach any point on the planet far far faster and in far greater numbers than by deploying via aircraft and ships. True, lots will die, but lots of shermans were destroyed during wwii, and lots of marines died before ever setting foot on solid ground in normandy. The point is to defeat the enemy, not have none of your own soldiers killed.

This has my vote for the most absurd statement made on any thread this month.
Please don't make the claim that this delivers more men in a stealthier mode than propeller aircraft flying at nape of the earth mode, saying lots will die then reversing yourself by saying the goal is to have none of your soldiers killed. The mind boggles...

saying lots will die then reversing yourself by saying the goal is to have none of your soldiers killed. The mind boggles...

I think you misread Nygdans post.

He said:

The point is to defeat the enemy, not have none of your own soldiers killed.

To translate...You aim to win, not to keep all your soldiers alive.

I don't think SUSTAIN is supposed to deliver a Battalion Landing Team. I think it would be more like a Recon team.

The effort is called "Hot Eagle," and it could be the first step forward in the Marine Corps' hopes for space travel. Within minutes of bursting into the atmosphere beyond the speed of sound -- and dispatching that ominous sonic boom -- a small squad of Marines could be on the ground and ready to take care of business within 2 hours. [One presentation muses that the capsule might later be picked up by a Osprey or by a "balloon cable and C-17" transport plane. Or, the Marines might "hike out," and "leave [the] crew capsule behind." -- ed.]

www.defensetech.org...

[edit on 2005/9/21 by GradyPhilpott]

Yeah same here, I can't see the capsule holding anything as large as a BLT..or even a company for that matter.....like Grady said...maybe a small Recon Team or some sort of specially trained fire-team.

And maybe this could be used with the recently formed Detachment One.....

Originally posted by stumason

Wasn't Omaha done by the US Marine Corps?

To my knowledge, there were no combat operations carried out by the USMC at Normandy.

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
I don't think SUSTAIN is supposed to deliver a Battalion Landing Team. I think it would be more like a Recon team.

"a small squad of Marines"

Originally posted by NWguy83


"a small squad of Marines"

A squad of Marines consists of three fire teams. To my knowledge, there really is no such thing, organizationally, as a "small squad," per se.


usmilitary.about.com...


[edit on 2005/9/22 by GradyPhilpott]

That would be 13 Marines (3 fire teams and a squad leader).....maybe a bit less, since it says "a small squad of Marines"

sporty

[edit on 22/9/2005 by SportyMB]

You're right. I remembered 15, did the count and came up with 13 and decided to edit the exact number out. Thirty-five years is a long time.

Originally posted by Realist05
Please don't make the claim that this delivers more men in a stealthier mode than propeller aircraft flying

It plainly is faster and much harder to defend against marines crashing to the battlefield in capsules from space than to have unarmoured guys with silk bags jump outta planes and drift to the ground.

then reversing yourself by saying the goal is to have none of your soldiers killed.[/quote

The point is to defeat the enemy, not have none of your own soldiers killed

sportyMB
maybe a small Recon Team

And maybe a few hundred capsules can be used with the recon teams. Blasting off from a military shuttle-base in the US, reaching orbit, flitting over to the position quickly, then releasing these capsules to scream down to the earth, landing all around any enemy position, be it a city of a fielded army, smashing it up, bugging out to a pick up point and being lifted out by another ship that followed them, all in the space of a few hours. Stormtroopers indeed.